“The added capacity and investments in cutting-edge equipment position Boeing to increase its support to a variety of missions, from seabed to space,” Robert Green, senior director of Integrated Air & Missile Defense, said of the new addition.

The facility houses a team of electrical engineers and technicians who build and maintain circuit boards for Boeing space and defense programs, including missile systems, planes, rockets and the International Space Station.

‘UNMATCHED LEGACY’

In other recent developments involving the Alabama operations, the U.S. Air Force selected Boeing as the lead contractor for the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) guidance subsystem support.

Under the contract, worth up to $1.6 billion over 16 years, Boeing will maintain the readiness and accuracy of the Minuteman ICBM weapons systems for national defense into the late 2030s.

“Boeing has an unmatched legacy in Alabama, from the earliest days of U.S. space exploration to the latest chapters of discovery and innovation that are being written today,” said Greg Canfield, Secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce, who’s attending the 2023 Paris Air Show this week.

“This strategic vision and pioneering expertise are made possible by Boeing’s Huntsville workforce, who are true trailblazers in so many important aspects of the global aerospace and defense sector.”

Boeing’s economic impact in Alabama is more than $2.7 billion, according to a study released last year in conjunction with the company’s 60^th anniversary in the state. Boeing supports more than 9,400 direct and indirect jobs.

For Space Launch System, Boeing’s Huntsville operation is responsible for the design, development, testing and manufacture of the core and upper stages, as well as the avionics for the rocket. The successful first flight of SLS, part of the Artemis I mission in November, was a key step on the journey to Mars.

Boeing’s Alabama employees also work closely with NASA at Huntsville’s Marshall Space Flight Center to run the International Space Station. As the prime contractor for ISS, Boeing built all major U.S. elements and integrates the contributions of 15 counties in the world’s largest lab in low Earth orbit.

In addition, the company is heavily invested in training the next generation of aerospace and aviation leaders.

The U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville last month unveiled the new Space Camp Operations Center, a project made possible through a grant from Gov. Kay Ivey’s office and a sponsorship from Boeing.

The 40,000-square-foot center will play an important role in the operations of Space Camp, where participants are immersed in STEM education as they learn about space exploration, research and careers. Since the early 1980s, there have been more than 1 million graduates from nearly 150 counties.